Dick Clark dies at 82!

SANTA MONICA, Kalifornia - April 18, 2012 - Television legend Dick Clark, who originated American Bandstand and the perennial New Year’s Eve celebration on ABC, died Wednesday morning, according to his representative Paul Shefrin.

Shefrin said that Clark, 82, had suffered a heart attack.

Clark “entered St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica last night for an outpatient procedure,” said Shefrin in a statement. “Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. He is survived by his wife, Kari, and his three children, Rac, Duane and Cindy.”

For decades, Clark and his countdown show, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, were synonymous with New Year’s Eve. His role on the program was scaled back after he suffered a stroke in 2004, but he was back last December to count down to midnight and kiss his wife, Kari.

In an interview via e-mail last December, Clark said he presumed that for many viewers, it’s “comforting to see a familiar face who has been there for the past 40 years.”

He added that for viewers who have a physical disability, his appearances “may serve as a source of inspiration”.

Nicknamed “America’s Oldest Teenager,” Clark prided himself on still picking some of the musical acts for New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

For older generations of Americans, Clark was best known as the host of American Bandstand, a groundbreaking music performance program. It became, as John A. Jackson wrote in a 1997 book about the show, the beginning of a “pop music empire” for Clark.

He became a prolific television producer, responsible for game shows like $25,000 Pyramid, and for award shows like the American Music Awards. According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Clark’s production company has made more than 7,500 hours of television programming.

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